Royal or Author?
by Cbear88
Summary: This is the story of a girl named Romaine who is a passionate author. This is what she wants to pursue, but she soon finds herself entered in the Selection of Prince Charles. This takes place many years after Eadlyn's Selection, and Illéa is free of the casts. However, it is now a monarchy again. Will Romaine follow her original dreams, or will they change?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello, readers! This is the selection far into the future, as prince Charles must find a wife. However, Illéa is no longer a constitutional monarchy, but rather just a monarchy. It is told through just one girl's point of view, although that can be changed. This is sort of a SYOC! This is my first story on fanfiction, so I decided that most of the characters will be mine. I will pick five submitted characters to participate in the selection. Happy creating!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Selection, that belongs to Kiera Cass, who is awesome.**

I was anything but perfect, at least to myself. Growing up in Fennley, I wasn't one of those stuck-up crazy girls. I was confident, smart, good. Of course, nobody saw that, they were too distracted by my looks. I had been told several times that I was beautiful, but I didn't care. While everyone pushed me to be a model, I was preparing to be the best author Illéa had ever seen.

Writing was that not-so-secret passion of mine; where I put all of my thoughts, beliefs, and feelings into metaphors that wove into a story. It was my chance to become a part of a different world, one that I could control. It's in those worlds that my sister wouldn't have died in the plane crash, while I survived. It's in those worlds that survivor's guilt wouldn't take me over. It's in those worlds that-

"Romaine! Quit scribbling into that notebook of yours, the report is on!"

"Okay." I loved my mom. She was what got me through the death of my sister, but she could be a bit naggy. She turned up the volume on the television, and she watched it intently.

The voice of Gavril Fadaye the fourth sounded from the TV. "Now that we have heard reports about the condition of our nation, we have a very important announcement from prince Charles!"

The prince walked up to the podium with a grin. He was a mix of his mother and father, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. I could practically hear all of the Illéan girls swoon through the windows.

"Hello, Illéa!" The crowd cheered. "In a few years, I will become the king of this beautiful country. In order to do so, I must find a lifelong partner and queen to guide me through life. It is my pleasure to announce that I will be holding a Selection. The brilliant minds of Illéa have come up with a remarkable entry system. This time, it will be online, allowing us to gather the results in one day! So be sure to snap a picture, fill out the form, and enter the raffle. Girls of ages 16 to 19 may enter. Good luck!"

With that, the audience burst into enthusiastic cheers and clapping. Charles stepped back from the podium, a smile on his face. But I could tell that it was fake. Behind that smile was worry. Before I could even think more about the selection, I was interupted by my mom.

"Oh, Romaine! You should enter!"

"No way! I did not come this far in life….I mean that I have hopes and dreams aside from marrying into that birdcage of a palace!"

"But this would be such a good opportunity for you! Make some friends, and compete for the hand of the crown prince!"

"Mom, wait. I wouldn't be competing for his hand, it's a matter of who he falls in love with!"

"So you'll enter?"

"Not a chance." My writing was simply too important to me.

"You know that we need the money."

"I can get a job."

"Honey, listen. It's what Gracelyn would have wanted!" Sure, mom, use my dead sister to guilt me into doing it. I guess that worked.

"Fine."

 **I know that this is very, very, very short, only a few words! I just wanted to give you a bit of a background. Please review and submit!**

-Cbear

 **Haha, Just Kidding. The reason why this chapter was so short is that it must also contain the form. Please fill this out and PM me the character. Details are appreciated! I chose not to elaborate on many of the "questions" on the form, because I want you to talk about what you wish to emphasize. Good luck!**

 _ **Name: (If the character has a nickname, you can give that, too. Also, please make the name easy to spell!)**_

 _ **Province:**_

 _ **Family:**_

 _ **Age:**_

 _ **Occupation (If any):**_

 _ **Looks: (This includes before and after the makeover. Please list a description of the first dress that they wear after the makeover, and I will take that style to come up with the rest, with your help, of course.**_

 _ **Weight:**_

 _ **Height:**_

 _ **Love interest at home?:**_

 _ **Personality: (List anything. Fears, level of knowledge, character traits, etc.)**_

 _ **Good Traits:**_

 _ **Bad Traits:**_

 _ **Hobbies:**_

 _ **Ideas for their first date with the prince:**_

 _ **What they think of the prince:**_

 _ **How far will they make it?: (Ok, so sometimes I like to make characters just to poke fun at; like total snobs or ridiculous stuff, that get eliminated immediately. You can if you want!)**_

 _ **Ambitions for entering:**_

 **Thank you for entering a character. (Or not!) If you are a guest, you can always put the character in a review. By the way, how do I see the reviews? (#newkid, haha I don't know anything!) Also, please excuse any bad writing. I'm a sixth grader, so I am not that good.**

 **-Cbear**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hello, readers! I'm so sorry about the mediocre beginning chapter, but hopefully this is better.**

I sat over my desk, pondering over the thick cream paper in front of me. I grabbed a pen, and started filling out the form.

 _Name: Romaine Reynolds_

 _Province: Fennley_

 _Age: 18_

 _Occupation: None_

 _Hobbies: Writing, Singing, Debating, Swimming, Reading_

 _Height: 5 feet, 7 inches_

 _Hair color: Dark brown_

 _Eye color: brown_

 _Skin color: Olive_

After filling out the form, I picked it up and walked down the hall, to meet my mother.

"Hi, sweetie!"

"Hi, mom. I'm going to turn this in. Do I look okay for my picture?" My mom gazed over my outfit, hair, and _very_ light makeup until nodding.

"It'll have to do."

"What do you mean? Mom, It's not like I want to spend hours perfecting my looks. I probably won't get selected, anyways!"

"Probably is a big word," she hummed, walking past me and into her room. I mentally rolled my eyes and proceeded down the stairs and out the door. The cool winter air blew against my face as I walked towards the picture and online entry station, and I sighed. Something told me that I might not get to feel that air much longer.

I cozied up on the couch with my mom as I got ready to watch the special edition of the Report. Without my journal, I had nothing to do but pretend to watch the television. There was no political news, just Gavril's voice droning on, and on, about what a great tradition the Selection was, how it had become a successful way for the princes to find the love of their life. After mentioning everything that he possibly could about tradition, and cracking a few jokes as well, Gavril moved on. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the Selection!"

Prince Charles walked up to a big see-through screen. He could see our names and pictures, we couldn't. He tapped the screen, and began to recite the names. Although we couldn't see it, I could tell that Prince Charles was carefully inspecting each picture. He kept a straight face for everyone, but you could see his eyes shine sometimes. I didn't listen to the girl's names. What was the use? Finally, Prince Charles got to Fennley. "And from Fennley, Romaine Reynolds!"

I didn't even have time to look at Charles' face, because of the state of shock that I was in. I was Selected. My mom screamed.

"Oh, Romaine! What opportunity!"

I simply stared at the television, not listening to the other names. I was Selected. I would travel to Angeles, and live a few months of luxury; then be sent home. Or, I would be selected. The thoughts created a maze of ripples in my mind, until a hand waved in front of my face. I looked towards my mom and found her in tears.

"Oh, honey. I'm so happy for you! I know that you might not want to be a part of the Selection, but always remember that I want the best for you. That Gracelyn would want the best for you! This is the opportunity of a lifetime! Make new friends, get to know royal life, possibly come out as a princess and future queen! And don't you try to hide your love of politics. You would make a great queen, I just know it."

"Mom! I-"

"Ah, ah! Romaine, I'll be proud of you, princess or not. Just...think of this as an adventure. Look, you're traveling to a new place, making new friends, having new experiences. Who knows? Love can come out of nowhere. You might not be interested now, but you could end up loving the prince. Whether you do or not, this will be good for you! And-wait! One of those girls might share your love of writing!"

"I never thought of it like that."

"Well, there are bound to be other girls who write. You might even pick up some advice. Take your journal, if it pleases you."

"I swear I never thought that I'd hear you say those words."

Ha, ha. Yes, you can take your journal. Maybe write a story about your adventures at the palace. Just, have fun, follow your heart, and be honest with yourself. If you do those three things, you'll be happy."

"Thanks, mom."

"Anytime. Okay, so we have a bit of planning to do. Tomorrow, people will come and start preparing you for the trip. They'll help you pack, and then you'll have your last night at the house. The next morning, you will leave for Angeles, by plane. Then-"

"By plane?! No, I can't!"

"Romaine, you have no reason to be afraid. This is not a military plane, just a luxury palace jet. There is no reason for anyone to-"

"Stop. Fine, I get that I'm not in the military; there would be no reason for my plane to be bombed and crash. Let's just stop talking. I should get some sleep."

"I understand. Honey, I miss your sister just as much as you do. She would want you to live life to the fullest, okay? Go get into your pj's, you do need the sleep."

"Yeah. Goodnight, mom. Love you!"

"I love you, too."

Mom kissed my forehead, and then I walked up the stairs and into my room. I took in the scent of the air freshener that smelled like a tropical breeze. It had always been my sister's favorite. I would miss it, along with everything from home. I looked across the room to my desk. I walked over, and picked up a picture of a girl. She had long, brown hair and brown eyes. I sighed, looking at her military jacket.

"Goodnight, Gracelyn. Love you forever."

I jumped at the sound of the alarm clock. Turning it off, I got out of bed. I wanted to press the snooze button so badly, but if I did I would never get out of bed. I slipped on my robe and made my way downstairs to my mom. Unfortunately, she was not the only person in the room. A lady with a tight royal blue skirt, white shirt, and a matching striped clipboard stood in the kitchen. My mom was the first to speak.

"Romaine, this is Jennifer. She's here to help you pack, and prepare for your trip."

I approached Jennifer nervously.

"Hi, as my mom said, I'm Romaine. Sorry about the causal robe, I wasn't expecting a guest this early." Of course, my mom was in her best dress. Great.

"Oh, no problem, dear. I'm here to help you pack for your trip to Angeles. All clothing and other essentials will be provided; just pack the things that are important to you. Also, I had to drop off your travel outfit. Like all of the other girls, you'll be wearing a black skirt and a white top. This year, we're doing something different that the flowers. You'll wear multi-colored headbands to show the provinces. Your's is emerald green, which, if I may add, will go remarkably well with your hair and skin."

"Thank you. I'll start packing right away."

"Here, I'll come help you," she insisted. Jennifer followed me up the stairs, and into my room. I grabbed my notebook, special pens, and then made my way over to my desk. As Jennifer paused to set up my outfit for the next day in my room, I stopped by a picture. It was the picture of Gracelyn on her first day in the Illéan army.

I heard a voice from behind me. "I didn't know that you were in the army, once." I hadn't noticed that Jennifer was looking at the picture over my shoulder.

"No, that isn't me."

"Who is it?"

"It's my sister."

"I didn't know that you had a sister. Where is she?"

"Dead."

 **Author's Note: Sorry about the dark and weird ending, it just felt right. Once agian, this is a short chapter. I prefer to do very short, but very frequent updates. Tell me if you prefer something else! Anyhow, you only have one week to give me your characters! I can fill it up with more fluff that day and the next, but after that, I'll need characters for the plane ride and the palace. Please submit!**

 **Many Thanks,**

 **Cbear**

v


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello, Readers! I'm so sorry that I didn't update sooner! This next week is going to be a bit hectic for me, because I'm graduating 6th grade and moving on to middle school. (My school system is different than most people's.)**

 **Special shout-outs to Disneygirl15 for reviewing, and The Elements Lord for favoriting. Please review, then I know that you don't hate the story!**

 **Anyhow, this is just a super short and fluffy chapter with Romaine leaving Fennley. If you plan on submitting a character, please have it ASAP! I know that I didn't give any of you much time, but I would love to see some characters! You are also welcome to create a maid if that is easier. Details will be mentioned at the end of the update. Stay tuned for more! (Cue the game show music!) lol….**

I adjusted my emerald green headband as I stared at myself in the mirror. Once I found it to be straight, I threw my bag across my shoulder and walked down the stairs. At the bottom was Jennifer, in a professional skirt and top combo. My mom-teary eyed and over emotional for the occasion-sat on the lounge chair with two boxes of tissues in her lap.

Jennifer spoke up, filling the awkward silence. "Okay, so breakfast will be provided on the plane, we just have to drive to the airport. You'll be flying with a few other girls, so make sure that you get to know them. It's also nice to socialize with the fans a bit, as-"

"Fans?" I interrupted.

Well, yes, particularly the people from Fennley are rooting for you! I'm rooting for you! You-"

"You're rooting for me? And, wait...you're the Selection planner. Why are you in Fennley, instead of Angeles?"

"Well, first of all, it's not lady-like to interrupt people. Second, of all, I read your form. We were down one committee member, so I knew that I would need to travel to one of the provinces and escort a girl. I just had to decide which one. It happens to be that I enjoy writing as well, and you were one of the only girls who listed that as a hobby. So I made the decision to come to Fennley. After seeing a bit of your life, I can tell that you're a wonderful girl. I would be honored to have you as my queen."

Wow. I was shocked. The head of all things "Selection" had just told me that she wanted me to win, even before giving me lessons, or seeing me with the prince.

"Thank you, but I'll have to see if I can live up to that. You see….I was against entering the Selection at first, until I was reminded that my sister would have wanted me to take my life places. This should be an adventure, but nobody can be positive of the outcome."

"Said like a queen," Jennifer hummed, before turning around and out the door. I looked back at my mom, still in tears.

"Love you, mom." I gave her the biggest hug that I could manage.

"Love you, too." With that, I stepped out the door, and followed Jennifer through the crowds. Most of the people were just the press, but I stopped by a little girl that reminded me of Gracelyn, and myself. I bent down, and she started to speak.

"I really hope that you win!"

"Thanks, sweetie. What's your name?"

"Romana. Your name's just like mine!"

"That's right." I saw a look from Jennifer, we had to move. "Well, I have to go now, but-wait, where's your mommy?"

The little girl teared up. "She died, just after I was born, so I never got to know her."

Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I have to go now, but-"

"Gracie?!" A man behind the girl looked at me with wide eyes. The girl proceeded to tell him my real name, and he looked at me with even more shock. But before I could talk to the group anymore, Jennifer took me by the arm. "What were you doing?"

"Sorry, that guy thought I was someone else. The girl was sweet, too, but I just can't shake the thought that….."

"What?"

"Never mind. Jennifer?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I call you Jen?"

"Not at all." She laughed and continued to speak. "In fact, most of my friends call me that. Jennifer just seems to formal!" Jen lead me to a very fancy car, and we both stepped inside. She immediately slipped a pair of headphones on, and leaned back. I snuck a quick glance at her playlist, which, to my surprise, was full of pop music. Unfortunately, she caught me looking.

"What, did you expect that royals and their helpers all listen to classical stuff? That an older lady would? Oh, not at all. As for the Royals…...well, if I'm allowed to tell you a bit about the prince, he LOVES pop music." I smiled; amused.

"What if you aren't allowed to tell me a bit about the prince?"

"Too bad," she said with a smirk. She put her headphones back on, and I settled in for the long drive to the airport. Pulling out my journal, I returned to my story, resistant to car-sickness. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

 _The fire blazed fiercely, until it consumed the entire plane as it crashed to the ground. I grabbed my parachute and prepared to jump out. I turned behind me. "Milo, come on!" He nodded, grabbed my hand and jumped. No! I would throw off his balance, he would die! Milo had to be there for Romana. I let go of his hand, and dropped my parachute, falling to my death. "Gracie! Noooo!" he shouted, but it was too late._

I awoke at an instant, to find Jennifer looking at me with concerned eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a nightmare."

"Care to share?"

"No thanks."

"It's fine. We're at the airport, you should get your bag ready." I fumbled around for my notebook, but I couldn't find it! No, it had to be here somewhere.

"Looking for this?" Jen said. "I just had to look through it. That story you're writing, it's so good!"

Jen smirked. "Payback!" She handed me the notebook, and I stuffed it into my bag.

As the car pulled to a stop, I thanked the driver and followed Jen to the royal terminal. The plane was ready for us, which I could expect, considering the palace's punctuality. I boarded the plane and realized that I was the first girl there. Jennifer walked to the back of the plane, and I found a seat towards the front. I marveled at the plush seats. This was by far the fanciest plane I had ever been in. A few girls came on after me, and they all made their way to the back, except for two. The first one sat next to me and introduced herself.

 **Sorry to end on the cliffhanger, and for the short, late update. Summer is almost here! About entering a maid, you CAN enter a maid for a girl if you would like. I love involving the palace maids in the plot, so feel free to be creative. If you enter a maid, I have the liberty of choosing what parts of the maid I include, to go along with the plot.**

 **Maid Form: (Once again, this is general. I want YOU to elaborate.) (Get the uncle sam reference, Americans?)**

 **Name:**

 **Background:**

 **What she thinks of her lady:**

 **What dresses she likes to design:**

 **Does she like a guard, cook, etc.? Or someone else?:**

 **Anything Else:**

 **Thank you! Also, huge thanks to my readers from other countries! I don't know if you are reading this in English, but I had no idea that so many people around the world would be reading this!**

 **Many Thanks and awesome wishes,**

 **Cbear :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, Readers! This is the chapter that you've hopefully been waiting for! I would like to ask all of you to PLEASE REVIEW! My views don't match up with the reviews, because I only have one review. Even if you hate the story, you can just tell me that.**

 **Anyhow, this is a SUPER SHORT plane ride chapter. If you plan on submitting a character, I need to have it by Wednesday. If you plan on submitting a maid, I need it soon. I will have all three of Romaine's maids in this chapter but one of them can always leave the palace.**

 **Do I sound like a drill sergeant? Sorry.**

 **There will be a poll on my profile about Romaine's first dress, and the first dress of her new friend, who will be introduced in this chapter.**

 **I also have one more thing to say. I created the cover for this story, and I still admit that it sucks. It would be totally awesome if one of you has more experience with covers, and you could make one. Anyhow, this is TOTALLY OPTIONAL, I know that y'all are busy.**

 **On to the chapter! (Finally..)**

"Hi, I'm Adley." I looked over to the girl. She wore a mint green headband, so she must have been from Likely.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Romaine."

"Great to meet you, too." Adley settled into her plush seat, as I pulled out my journal and worked on the story that Jen had liked.

" _Some tea?"_

" _Hibiscus, no more than one tablespoon of honey, you know that I'm on a diet."_

" _Yes, I do. What a phenomenon, we've had it for centuries. I don't get why looks have always been so important to you and everyone else, Governor. I never paid attention to that."_

" _Believe me, Harrison, I can see that."_

Just like Jen, Adley had apparently been leaning over my shoulder as I continued my political mystery.

"You like writing, too?"

"Yeah, it's sort of my hobby. What about you?"

"It's sort of my job."

"Cool! I've always dreamed of being an author, but nobody really likes the idea of that."

"Well, your life will go where you take it." At that moment, a flight attendant came up to our seats on the plane. Soon enough, I realized that it was Jen. She gave me a wink and then asked, "Is there anything that I can get you ladies?" I gave Jen a questioning look, but she just held her ever-invisible smirk.  
"May I please have some ginger ale?" asked Adley.

"Me, too, thank you."

Jen responded with a smile. She whispered back, "Alright I'll give the _real_ flight attendant your orders. I'm the head of the Selection, Jennifer. That was your first manners quiz, and I'm delighted to say that you both passed! Just don't tell anyone, please!" Adley wore a face of shock, I just held back a giggle. Leave it to Jen to go "undercover" as a flight attendant in order to get a sense of our manners. Jen left, and moved on to a blonde two rows in front of us. She wore piles, piles, more piles, (did I forget to mention piles), and piles of makeup.

"Is there anything that I can get you, miss?" Adley and I chuckled to ourselves.

"Yes, and my goodness, what took you so long? I should be first, I'm the richest. So incompetent. You filthy servants can never keep up with my simple needs! Fetch me a low-calorie frappuccino this instant!" Adley and I were suppressing giggles as Jen lightly shook her head and moved on to the next girl.

Soon, the pilot gave the takeoff announcement, and before I knew it, we were in the air. I looked over, only to find a very green Adley. Her black hair contrasted with the green tint.

"Adley, have you ever been on a plane before?" I asked.

She shook her head to say no. I quickly handed her a bag, and she blew. I looked over with a concerned face, until high-pitched screaming caught my attention.

"Ah! So gross, does that girl have any manners? Get me away from her," said the stuck-up girl from earlier.

Adley cleaned her face, and started to laugh. "Best. Prank. Ever."

I gave her a very surprised look, and she giggled. "The green was some makeup, and I can be a very convincing actor. Plus, I got that snooty girl to move away!"

I laughed, and responded. "Well, my friend, that was the most admirable cause for a practical joke possible!" Adley laughed, and I knew that I had made a good friend. But perhaps that joke wasn't the best idea, because a worried looking jen rushed over to aisle five. "Are you ladies okay?" Adley hesitated, and then responded.

"Yeah, sorry. That was just a practical joke to get that annoying girl to go away." I was shocked that Adley had chosen to come clean when it could mean getting on Jen's bad side, but even more shocked at Jen's reaction. She laughed. "I have to say, that is genius. Sounds like something that I might have done as a girl!"

"Well, that's a releif! Thanks, Jennifer."

"Oh, you can call me Jen. By the way, your friend Romaine here knew me before this. I escorted her here." If Adley could be even more shocked she was. "Okay, good to know. I won't hold anything against you, Romaine."

"Thanks. Also, Jen and Adley, please call me Roma. Romaine is just too formal."

"Perfect."

"Will do."

"Great, that is so much better. I-" The pilot's voice interrupted mine. "Please put your seatbelts on, we are beginning our descent into Angeles airport.

 **Yes, I know that that is a cruel place to stop, but I'll need one thing before I continue. On my profile is a poll for Roma and Adley's first dresses. The top dress will be Roma's, and the second top will be Adley's. I created Adley. Please vote! (You can vote for up to two dresses if you want)**

 **Once again, please review. I need to see that people are reading this story. If you have any suggestions, please tell me!**

 **Many Thanks as Always,**

 **Cbear**


	5. Possible Chapter

**Hi, Readers! It's been a week, but still no reviews or character submissions. I really hope that I didn't rush you! You can submit a character or maid at any time before a week from now, if that helps. Also, no poll results! (I'm beginning to think that Fanfiction is glitching!) If you have reviewed or voted, nothing has come in! If someone has, would somebody please PM me just to tell me? Thanks! Because of the lack of votes and characters, I can't really do a good chapter. Would you like for me to do a filler in the prince's POV? If so, please tell me and I can get it out by an hour after I've been notified. (Don't question my timing, I have one mostly ready!)**

 **Many thanks,**

 **Cbear**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello, Readers! Once again, I am amazed by how many people across the globe are reading this. I don't know if you are reading this in English, but I realized that this story contains many elements of American Culture. Fashion, technology, and customs are going to be different. If you are a reader from a different country, I encourage you to create a character from the area that that country is in. I am a geography nerd, so I would love to have an Illéan immigrant.**

 **Also, I HAVE A VOTE ON THE POLL! YAY! Thank you to whoever voted, this motivated me to write this chapter. Speaking of motivation, I have had absolutely none for the last 4 chapters! I still only have one review, so I'm kind of upset. If you are reading, please review just to give me some sort of tip. A huge reason why I chose to write on fanfiction is to become a better author, and I need you to help me.**

 **Ok, Maybe y'all hate me because of my freakishly long author's notes...Onto the chapter! Because I only have one (very meaningful) vote on the dresses poll, I can't do the palace arrival chapter yet. This chapter is in Brandon's POV. I really didn't want to do one like this, because I didn't want any of us (including myself) to know what Charles thinks of the Selection. Therefore, this is not Selection related at all! It is just a quick chapter of Charles with the family….. By the way, for the Australians out there, my character named adelaide Charles' sister is not named after the capital of South Australia. The name just came to me, plus I love kangaroos! (Stereotypes, I know.)**

 **Onto the chapter….(yes, the note is FINALLY over.)**

"Charles, truth or dare?"

I was playing a game of truth or dare with Adelaide, but her dares and truths were no match for my ruthless ones. I responded to her with ease.

"Dare."

Adelaide grinned. "I dare you to grow a beard."

"Never."

"Fine, then you have to do the 200 jumping jacks!"

"With ease!" I got off of the bed and hurried through my jumping jacks. Adi's dares were mean, but not clever.

"Okay," I said. "Adi, Truth or dare."

"Dare."

"Okay...um...ha! I have it! I dare you to write a non-logical statement about whales and fruit, and then present it to the first person that you see in the hall, while I videotape you from a distance!"

"Fine, it's better than jumping jacks." Adi went over to my desk and found a piece of paper. She started writing something, and I went over to look. Before I could, she blocked me.

"Not so fast! I want to surprise you!"

"Okay then."

Adi then sat up from the desk and grabbed my camera. I took it, and we silently proceeded into the hallway. I let Adi get around the corner, and snuck behind her. The faint sound of music came from behind me, and I turned around, only to find my brother, Daxten, playing the mission impossible theme song behind me. I smirked, and started doing the most childish secret agent poses that I could. This whole game was truly childish, and I couldn't help but laugh. I think that Dax got the message, and he shushed the music. Well, not for long. The Hawaii 50 theme song comes BLASTING out of his phone, and even Adi could hear it. She turned around, and waited a few seconds before we all fell to the floor in giggles. In the midst of our laughter, Adi stood up, walked over to Daxten, and started to recite her illogical statement.

"Thar she blows! Shoot, where did I put my strawberries? They must be in the whale! I bet if I start to hum the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song, the whale will come to me!" Dax looked at me, an amused look on his face, and I nodded. He clicked the screen of his phone, and out came the theme song for Pirates of the Caribbean. (Author's Note: For those of you in other countries, these are American movies.) Adi burst into giggles again with all of us, and we were literally rolling on the floor, until Dax asked, "Can I play truth or dare with you?"

"Sure!"

"Char Char truth or-"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME CHAR CHAR!"

"Fine," Dax laughed, "Charles, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to….wait..Adi, come here."

With a confused look on her face, Adelaide walked over to Dax, and Dax whispered something into her ear. Adi's face lit up, as she said, "Charles, go change into a swimsuit!" Dax and Adi ran off to their rooms. I decided to follow their instructions, so I changed into my swimwear. I found the pair in the hallway, and they began to run towards the stairs. "Meet us at the pool!" they yelled. Luckily, I was much faster than both of my younger siblings.

Adelaide was 16 years old, but also very mature. Daxten had reached the age of 18, and was also quite mature. At 19 years old, I was not much older than either of the two. But when I say that the three of us are mature, I'm not lying. However, our current circumstances argued otherwise. By now I had reached Adi and Dax, and I followed them down the nearest corner. They turned down the next hallway towards the pool, before noticing that Cressida was coming around from the other hallway. The youngest of the siblings; Cressida, or Cressi, was 14 years old. She wheeled around the corner and frowned. "You're going swimming?"

"Yeah, wanna come?"

"As if I could."

"Cressi, you can't let this stop you. You were born this way, yes, but you can't let it stop you!"

"No! As if you knew what it's like to be born paralyzed waist down! With no hopes of ever becoming anything, advisors that hate you, diplomats and rulers of other countries that think I'm worthless, royal children not wanting to play with me!"

"You're right in that I don't know what it's like, but I can try to help. We can still have fun. I'll help you with your next prank!"

"Okay. But I have to help mom with that part for the Italians that's coming up after the Selected arrive. You go and swim!"

"Alright, bye sis!"

"Bye," she echoed. Her auburn hair and the back of her wheelchair were all that could be seen now that she was turning the corner of the hall. I smiled, and headed to the pool. When I got there, I saw Dax in the water.

"Finally, Charles, you got here. Adi's getting some floaties, we just got a giant swan. Anyhow, I think I left my goggles on the diving board, can you get them?"

"Sure!"

I climbed up to the diving board.

"They're on the high dive!" Dax called.

I stepped up the ladder until I was on the highest possible board. It was a long drop to the bottom, one that only my siblings enjoyed. I looked around, but couldn't find Dax's goggles. Wait...since when did he have goggles? Before I could realize what was happening, Somebody pushed me from behind. I fell for about three seconds, and plunged into the water. I was furious! Who would think to...I looked up, to see Cressida by the side of the pool, and Adi on the high dive. There were a few seconds of awkward silence, until someone pushed Adi off of the high dive. We all looked up in shock to find the King and Queen of Illéa on the high dive, and they jumped off. We might not be as perfect as the country thought that we were, but my family was perfect to me.

 **Okay, so the ending is too...not good. But I hope that this gave you a peek into the royal life! Please vote on the poll, review, and have an awesome summer! My elementary school graduation is tomorrow, because for my school you graduate in 6th grade. Anyhow, updates will be more frequent after that, because it will be summer!**

 **Many Thanks and Hugs as always,**

 **Cbear**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi, Readers! I am happy that the pole received some votes! It was a three way tie for second place, so I have picked Adley's dress. Once again, no reviews! I am very sorry, but if I don't get ANY reviews for five chapters in a row, but I have over 200 views, I start to get confused. If I continue not to receive reviews or messages, I will have to discontinue the story. Also, until I get a character (which is WAY overdue at this point) I cannot continue the Selection part of the story. I NEED at least a girl or a maid in order to continue.**

 **Once again, I am extremely confused by my lack of reviews. My initial reaction is that you all hate me, which really hurts. I am losing confidence in myself as an author without your support. The one review that I have is really sweet, so I'm quite confused. It's possible that my tech isn't working, but I have an email, so Private Messaging should work.**

 **Anyhow, this is just a maids and guards chapter. However, it is a key part of the plot. It obviously doesn't include all of the maids, because one must be submitted. Anyhow, onto the chapter….**

I walked out into the gardens, making my way around the maze of roses, lilies, and then on to the exotic plants. The garden was a great shortcut to the guest quarters from the laundry room, and I had to carry a large load of decorative pillows for my lady's room. I was told that her favorite color was emerald green, so emerald green pillows would fit. The pillows were stacked high above my head, but I could see through them enough to navigate the gardens. I truly hoped that my lady, Romaine, would enjoy them. I had-

 _Boom._ I felt a sharp pain in my arm, and fell over. The bottom of the green pillows were now stained a dark crimson. I had been shot. Within seconds, the rebel alarm sounded from the palace. Dozens of workers hurried inside, but all of them were too far away to see me. A few more shots rang out, although I don't think that any people were hit. That is, except for me. I was too stunned to even cry. Clutching my arm, I waited in silence. I couldn't crawl, so I just stayed in place.

Soon enough, I heard footsteps coming up from behind me. I was picked up, and now rested steadily in the arms of a guard. I really couldn't think well enough to speak, and I soon found myself drifting into darkness….

I woke up to find that my arm was wrapped in white bandages. Looking up from the hospital bed, the events of that morning came back to me. But...how did I get here? My question was answered soon enough when I saw a guard look down at me.

"Officer…"

"Clark. I'm Officer Clark. Under orders of General Richardson. But he's always been more casual, you'd know him as General Milo."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lavinia, obviously a maid. I've been assigned to Lady Romaine."

"I'm afraid that you might have to spend today in the hospital. Luckily, the bullet just grazed your arm, but still caused blood loss."

"Oh," I said.

"I'll stay here, though. The rebel attack is over, but what a scare."

"And just days before the selection! Obviously a message."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, it might just be to try and mess with us, but don't you think that they're trying to tell us something? Like, 'We'll try and harm your selected, just you wait!"

"I guess I never thought of it that way."

"Yeah. Thanks for finding me."

"Not a problem at all," he said with a smile, "But I'm afraid that your pillows didn't fare well. He held up a now burgundy pillow, and we both laughed.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you…."

"Clark is actually my first name."

"Nice meeting you, Clark. I'll see you around?"

"Probably."

 **So...where will Clark and Lavinia go….And what about "General Milo?" Got any suspicious…(hint hint!)**

 **This was obviously a very short chapter, but it will be important.**

 **-Cbear**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yay! A review...thanks to FlavourofTea and ALBETINA for reviewing! I have a lot of down time today, so I decided to do another chapter! If you are currently making a character, I can squeeze her in, but I decided to just go ahead with the story. This is the palace arrival and makeover chapter! The girls will come to the palace, and have their makeovers done. This will include the "first dresses" but will also include some more maid and guard stuff...I love the behind the scenes people in the palace, such as maids and guards, so there will be quite a bit of that. Tell me if you don't like it.**

 **About the dresses, there is a tie between the two, but I really wanted you guys to have this chapter ASAP, so one of the dresses will be Adley's and one will be Romaine's.**

 **Also, there is a similarity between Romaine and her maids. Whoever can find it gets to pick someone's Report dress….more details later.**

 **I don't like listening to music while I read, but I love to while I write. Sometimes, a certain song just "goes" with a chapter. This chapter's inspiration song is By the way, I am sorry for the long author's notes. I like to put everything that I need to say in the beginning or the end, not both. Onto the chapter….**

As my limo pulled up to the palace, I gaped at the lavish building. I knew that the palace was fancy, but I would never dream of it being this stunning. The vehicle stopped in front of two large doors, as a butler opened the car door for me. I stepped out of the car and my legs ached from sitting down for so long. As all of the girls from every group gathered at the steps of the palace, Jen approached us.

"Ladies, I hope that you have had a pleasant day of traveling. Instead of a palace tour, we will be heading straight to makeovers." Several girls oohed and aahed at the thought of a royal makeover. "Yes, you will have makeovers, which will be done by your maids! They are very excited to meet you, and hope to help you with whatever you need. After your makeover and pictures, your maids will give you a tour of the palace. In the past, the head of the Selection, which is now me, gave the palace tour. But, I know that the maids truly know the palace better than anyone, as they spend most of their time navigating it. They will finish the tour by taking you to your rooms, where you will spend time bonding with your maids, and then bond with your selected. After renovations, your rooms are connected by one central room, which will take the place of the Women's room. We have friendship bracelet making supplies if this interests you."

Several girls cheered. "After bonding, you will go back to your rooms for a bath, and then change into your evening wear. You will then go to meet and interview with the Prince, which will be followed by dinner. Are today's plans clear?"

Everyone nodded their heads, and then followed Jen into the palace. With dramatic flair, Jen threw the palace doors open. The foyer was as grand as the outside of the palace. As I made my way through the spacious rooms, that was a recurring theme. Plush. Lavish. Gorgeous. Expensive. It was all stunning!

We finally got to the old Women's Room, which was set up for makeovers. My station said "Romaine" on it in sparkly emerald green letters. I made my way over there, to find three ladies that were about my age. They introduced themselves.

"Hi, I'm Julia, your head maid. I'm your age, 18 years old."

"And my name is Lavinia. I'm seventeen, and I'll be in charge of your outfits."

"That leaves me. I'm Augusta, and I'm sixteen, so I'm very young. Just not to be underestimated! I'm in charge of your hair and makeup, which I love to do." I loved the energy of all of the maids.

"So what can we do for you, my lady?"

"Well for starters, please call me Romaine, 'my lady' seems to formal."

"Absolutely. Well let's start on your hair," suggested Julia.

"Cool. I'd like to keep the dark brown, but my hair can get a bit greasy sometimes, so obviously try to get rid of that!"

The maids laughed. "Perfect. You do have thick hair, so grease is expected!" The maids had me sit in a chair with a basin at the end for the head, and began to wash my hair.

When my hair was done and dried with light curls, Julia brought out a tray of small bottles. "Time to pick your signature scent!"

I knew exactly what I was looking for. I looked over to the "T" section, and sure enough, I found tropical breeze. "This one, please. I use it for my room."

"Wonderful." The maids sprayed me with a mist of the scent, and guided me over to the makeup station.

"Now, what makeup do you want?" asked Augusta.

"I'd like to keep it natural, just blush, mascara, and lip gloss, please."

"Perfect! You are already stunning, so just a bit to bring out your beautiful eyes will do."

"Thanks."

Augusta did my makeup quickly, and then it was Lavinia's turn with me.

"Okay, so I made you a beautiful day dress for your very first royal outfit!" Lavinia held up the most beautiful dress that I have ever seen, not kidding. It was my favorite color! (emerald green)

"It's gorgeous! The perfect balance of simple and elegant."

"Thank you, and well said. I thought the same thing; not to brag."

Lavina buttoned me into the dress, (a long and tiresome process) until I stood in front of the mirror, loving what I saw.

"I'm...speechless. Honestly, you girls are the best!"

The maids all gave me a big hug, and then proceeded to my tour of the palace.

We visited the dining room, throne room, report room, and then the servants' quarters.

"This is the servants' quarters, which I wanted to show you in case you ever have to find us when your bell isn't working."

"Cool," I said.

Then, Lavinia lead me out some doors.

"Where are we?" Julia, Augusta, and I said simultaneously, followed by giggles.

"These are the palace gardens! My favorite place, plus, the best short cut. Since this is technically the courtyard, it leads to any place in the palace the fastest. Lavinia proceeded through roses, until we got to the "forest" part of the gardens. Yes, that's how big they were! She made her way through some marked trees, until we got to a pond with a wooden plank over it.

"I promise that this is sturdy," Lavinia said, "I had some guards build it."

I walked across the plank, and a few more trees, to find myself at the Selected rooms.

"Wow! That was fast!"

Lavinia smirked at the awestruck maids, and continued into the palace. The tour ended in my room. I stepped into the room, and my jaw dropped. Everything was white, with emerald green pillows and throws, mint green chairs with blue coffee tables, and silver embellishments.

"It's perfect!"

"We're glad you think so."

All three girls said goodbye and left, and I made my way to the Central Room, looking for Adley. I soon found her, wearing a dazzling aqua dress that perfectly complemented her blonde hair. She was wearing crystal earrings, and a matching bracelet.

"Adley! You look amazing!"

"Thanks, you too! Want to make friendship bracelets?"

"Sure!"

 _Lavinia_

I made my way through the gardens, this time just going for a walk. I had brought myself a strawberry tart that my friend (and palace chef) Calissa gave me. Walking through the flowers, I took in their lovely scent.

I stopped under the willow tree, sat down criss-cross style, and began to munch at my delicious snack. The desserts here at the palace were fabulous, and I relished every bite of them.

Looking at my watch, I soon realized that I should head back to Romaine to get her ready for the evening. I strolled through the exotic plants, and then to the forest. Within seconds, I was at the pond. Gathering my skirts, I started to walk across. Something caught my eye on the water. It almost looked.. Shiny. I bent down, my hand skimming through the cold, rippling water. I could pick it up if I just-

 _Splash!_

"Shoot." I started treading water, realizing that the pond was much deeper than I had thought. And only now had I realized that It lead to a deep stream. One with a current. Shoot. I should really be more aware, huh?

The deep stream stopped, feeding into a larger, deeper pond. But I was starting to get tired, much too tired to keep treading water. Plus, my still-bandaged arm that I had disguised under my long sleeved blouse began to leak blood. The rocks of the pond were too tall and slippery to climb; I was stuck. I did the only thing that would come to mind.

"HELP! Somebody help me! Help, please! Hello?! Anybody there?" I paused. It was no use. At least I thought it was. A male voice rang out.

"Hello?! Where are you?!"

"THANK YOU! I'm right here, at the pond!"

"Hang on, I'm coming!"

Soon enough, I heard running footsteps, only to find that my savior was Officer Clark, again.

"Well, look at you! You're soaked, and your arm will get infected. Funny that I have to save someone two days in a row."

"Yeah."

Officer Clark pulled me out of the water.

"Thanks, Clark."

"No problem. Also, since I fear that next time I'll have to save you from the lions at the palace zoo, my real name actually isn't Clark, I just...don't really give people my name that often."

"That's fine."

"My first name is Jackson."

"Well, _Jackson,_ nice to see you."

"And vice versa. Anyhow, let's get you to the hospital wing for another bandage."

"Yeah, my arm hurts."

"It does?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes, it does."

"Okay, let's get you to the infirmary, yet again." He then mimicked the people on those commercials for safety devices for the elderly. "Help, I've fallen, and I can't get up!"

"Haha, very funny! Those people are always so stiff! Worst actors ever."

"Agreed."

To my surprise, Jackson picked me up bridal style, and walked me to the infirmary.

 **Yay! Jackson and Lavinia….any ship name ideas? Typically, those are easy for me, but this one I can't get. A hint for the "similarity between Romaine and all of her maids" competition: Look at their names. (Look them up on the internet and find a similarity.)**

 **Many thanks again. For those of you who reviewed, this chapter is dedicated to you!**

 **Hugs and Best Wishes,**

 **Cbear**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi Readers! Yes, I have another chapter! This is the chapter we've all been waiting for….the meetings with the Prince! You have no idea how excited I am to write this! Also, I noticed that not many people read the previous chapter, so go ahead and read that if you haven't!**

 **Inspiration song for this chapter is "Eyes Wide Open" by Sabrina Carpenter. By the way, I made a typo in the previous chapter. I forgot to put my inspiration song! It was "Try Everything" from Zootopia.**

 **Also...Yay! Thank you Guest and Lily for the characters, they will be used! Also, to another Guest, you're right about the similarity! All of their names are connected to rome. Augusta - Augustus Caesar. Julia - Julius Caesar. Lavinia - Daughter of King Latinus. Romaine - French for woman of Rome! I am a history nerd, so make sure to pay attention to all of the characters names. Some are just names, but others have meaning. For Example, Adley's name means something, but the name of a soon-to-come-up guard, Cameron, means "crooked nose." The guard does not have a crooked nose, so this is just a name.**

 **I hope that you all are enjoying this story. Some of you might not be seeing updates in time because I live on the West Coast of the US, so if you live in the East Coast, this update will reach you at 1:20 AM, your time! Anyhow, onto the chapter….**

 _Lavinia_

"There, sweetie," said the nurse. "Your arm should be fine now. I'm putting a bandage on just because the wound re-opened in the water, but the bullet only grazed your arm, so there's no major damage. You can take the bandage off by nighttime, and then you're free to do whatever you want."

"Thank you," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. I turned to Jackson.

"I should probably get a new uniform."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to slip again, break your leg, and then make me carry you to the infirmary, _again,"_ he mocked.

"Thanks again, _Officer Clark,"_ I mocked back. "Guess I won't trouble you anymore with injuries." I then fake-slipped on the marble floor. "Ouch!" I screamed.

Jackson immediately bent over and picked me up, calling after the nurse.

I wiggled out of his arms, standing with my arms crossed. "Gosh, you fall for everything." I quickly bursted into a full sprint towards the maid's quarters. It would be faster to take my route through the gardens. Jackson was faster than I was, but I knew the gardens better than anyone. As I neared the forest, I looked behind me to see Jackson a few yards away. I went across the bridge but stopped again at the little pond. It was still deep, but the shiny thing could be seen again. Jackson stopped besides me, clearly seeing that I was looking at something in the water. What he didn't know was that I had actually fallen into this pond, looking for the same thing and fooled by the pond's depth. I had a plan.

"Jackson, what's that shiny thing at the bottom?"

"I don't know."

"It's only, like, three feet down. Maybe you could try and get it."

"Well, it's worth a shot." Jackson bent down, reaching for the shiny object. Before he could realize that the pond was actually 12 feet deep, I pushed him into the water, soaking his uniform, while smirking. "See ya later!"

I knew that Jackson would be able to climb out, so I dashed to the servants quarters to change.

 _Romaine_

After my bath, Augusta did my hair in loose curls again, and Lavinia pulled out what looked like Adley's dress from earlier, the light aqua one. "Yes, this is the same dress that Adley wore earlier, just fitted to you. Jennifer decided that we would be doing a dress trade thing, so Adley is wearing a different version of your green dress from earlier. We're only doing this tonight, just for fun, and also because we wanted to get a sense of everyone's best colors.

The maids helped me into the gorgeous dress, did my very light makeup, and pushed me out the door to head to dinner. But before they could, I asked them a question. "What do you girls do for dinner?"

Julia responded. "Well, that depends on the night. Sometimes we just have dinner by ourselves in our quarters, or we'll have a picnic in the gardens, some of us will have dates with guards and such, or sometimes we go out into the city to have dinner with friends. But it really depends."

"That sounds nice. Well, I should go off to dinner, but bye!"

The maids waved goodbye, and I went off to the dining room. In the hall coming towards the central room was a guard, trudging towards the hallway. His uniform was soaked. I gave him a questioning look, and he responded. "Ask your maid."

I was confused, but I decided to head off to dinner. I had to go down a few flights of stairs and halls, but I got to the dining room in time. I was actually early; the first one there!

I was in quite a bit of shock standing at the table. In front of me was the Queen, King, Prince Charles, and the rest of the royal family! I immediately dropped into a curtsy and addressed the royals. Queen Antaria immediately spoke up. "Well, good for you for being on time. I remember that in my Selection, all of the girls were late to everything."

I did not know how to respond to that. Thankfully I didn't have too. The king soon spoke up. "Well, dear, there was no competition to you in your Selection; timeliness would have made no difference." The couple shared a kiss. An eye roll was shared between the royal children and I, but, unfortunately, King Andrew saw it. "Now, children, let's not roll our eyes in the presence of a guest. I decided to speak up. "In their defense, your Majesty, I did roll my eyes too…"

I guess that I had assumed the King and Queen would be mad, but contrary to my thoughts, they weren't. The table burst into laughter, and I received a high-five from Prince Charles. The prince spoke up. "Well, I guess we could just do the interview now."

"Sure."

"I saw that one of your hobbies was writing."

"Yes, it is definitely my passion. I do everything from movie scripts, to romances, to political mysteries and-" The King cut me off.

"Political Mysteries?"

"Well, yes. About when America existed and there were so many countries that the embassies had to be in separate buildings. Or in alternate universes, where America lost the revolutionary war, so Democracy was never invented…"

"They sound interesting," said the prince. "Do you mind if I...read one?"

"You could definitely read one. I brought my journal with me."

"Lovely. If you're interested in politics, you might have to help me with some stuff…"

"Taking advantage of me?" I asked, playfully.

"Well, no...just making use of your abilities….."

"I'd love to."

"Yes! I've been dying to get those papers done." The table laughed.

"Actually, my favorite game is Risk...the game of military strategy. It's an actual board game, also an app."

"Ooh! I love that game," said the King. The queen rolled her eyes. "Sweetheart, you play a real life version."

"Oh. Right," responded the king.

"Well, your Majesty, I would be happy to play the game at any time, just the board game, though."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Soon enough, a girl came. Ugh. Veronica. She was the mean girl on the plane, and was wearing the most revealing outfit. It was black, VERY short, with a plummeting neckline. The King and Queen both looked disgusted. So did the prince. I was sitting right next to him, so he took his foot and stepped it on top of mine to get my attention. He raised a finger to his head and swirled it around. I stifled a giggle. This would be a long night.

 _Julia_

I stepped into General Milo's office. He had wanted to see me, I didn't know why.

"General?" Milo looked up from his papers.

"Yes, you're Lady Romaine's head maid, correct?"

"Correct, sir."

"Well, if only my guards addressed me correctly like you do!" laughed Milo. "Anyhow, I had some concerns regarding Romaine. You see, I saw her when I was guarding her house. Gracie's house. You see...Romaine had a sister. Her name was Gracelyn. Gracelyn happened to be in training with me when we joined the Illéan military. We got to know each other over a few months, and in a while we were married. But one day, our plane was bombed. We were lucky enough to get out by parachute, but Gracie's Parachute was ripped. She didn't want to weigh me down….so she...so….she let go," the general said, a tear coming down his cheek. "She knew that I had to be their for our daughter, who Gracie actually named after Romaine."

I was speechless. "Well, what should we do?"

"That is why I've called you here. Romaine seems like a smart lady. She could figure this out. And she'd be devastated if she knew about exactly how Gracie died, so we have to keep this from her. Prevent things from getting out of hand. I've assigned a guard to help you with anything necessary. Cam!

A blonde guard came out.

"Cam, meet Julia, Julia, meet Cam."

We shook hands, and were then dismissed by General Milo.

 _Lavinia_

I was in Romaine's room, sewing a gorgeous dress, when I heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I called. No answer. I walked over to the bathroom, grabbing a metal hair pin jar, in case a rebel was at the door and needed to be fought with. Jar in hand, Kung fu stance ready, I slowly opened the door when a man stampeded into the room. Before looking, I bashed him in the head with a jar. "Ouch! Lavinia, why'd you-"

"Jackson!? Omigosh I'm so sorry I was just scared when nobody answered and I thought you were a rebel so I got the jar and then you ran in and then I was scared so I just hit you and then I realized that it was you so-"

"Please, just quit the blabber and get me some ice."

"Sure. sorry!" I dashed into the hall, around the corner, down the stairs, through the garden and into the kitchens. I should really ask for an ice machine in the hall. Getting a bag of ice from the kitchen, I ran back to the room. Handing over the ice to Jackson, I paced around the couch, in circles.

"Oh, no! You're soaked!"

"Wonder who pushed me into a pond."

"Okay, that was just payback."

Jackson laughed, taking the ice off of his apparently healed head.

"You know what else is payback for your acts of generosity?"

"What?"

"This."

 **What's the payback? Sorry to be cruel with the ending! The next update might be somewhat far away, (Two days) because I have to figure out the new characters to really get a sense of them. Also, Guest who figured out the name similarity, what should the "Queen's Fashion Week Report" dress be?**

 **The next chapter is some more palace drama as always, some prince stuff, getting to know the selected girls, and the first assignment! It was mentioned in the chapter in Charles' POV. What do you think that it is? (Hint: May include royals from other countries!)**

 **I hope you all are having lovely summers, and thanks for the reviews!**

 **Hugs and Best Summertime Wishes,**

 **Cbear :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, readers! I am so sorry for the late update, I've just had a lot going on lately. Anyhow, this is the party chapter! Thank you all for submitting characters, and all three that were submitted will be included in the story! This chapter (as I mentioned) is the chapter in which the girls will plan parties for the foreign royalty.**

 **Oh, I almost forgot. This chapter is also interviews with the prince.** _ **Then**_ **the parties. Well, onto the chapter…..**

 _Romaine_

More girls started to fill the dining room table, with Adley sitting across from me. King Andrew cleared his throat. "Ladies, it is a pleasure to have you here in the palace. I must give all of you a reminder to be on time. In fact, Lady Romaine _was_ on time, so she got her interview with the prince done early, and got to know us all a little better. Punctuality will be crucial to your stay here, so we encourage you and your maids to keep time in mind. Now, let's enjoy dinner."

As if by cue, servants rushed in carrying plates of foods. Nobody had started eating, but I could practically become full by the scents alone. The first course was soup, followed by caesar salad, some delicious salmon and asparagus, fruits, and sundaes. By the time I was done, everyone was wishing that they hadn't eaten as much.

The prince stood up. "Lady Romaine, if you'd be so kind as to join us for interviews?"

"Absolutely. And, it's just Romaine."

"Perfect, _Romaine._ " The girls followed Charles into the Ballroom, where indigo curtains drape down from the gold ceiling. There are plush couches and chairs spaced throughout the room, and girls start to gather around the couches. I notice that Jen is already in the room.

"Welcome, Your Highness and ladies. Before we get to conversations, I have an announcement to make. You will begin your first assignment tomorrow!"

I cheered loudly, to find that nobody else was. Shrinking into my seat, I watched as Jen winked at me. "This assignment was typically reserved for later in the Selection, but we decided to test your abilities sooner. You will be planning parties for foreign royalty, and you'll be in groups of five or less, depending on if anyone is eliminated after today's conversations. Here are the groups:

Group One - Ladies Faith, Damaris, Thalia, Beverly, and Myah, you girls will be hosting a party for the New Asians!

Group Two - Ladies Adley, Courtney, Maria, Romaine, and Amaryllis, whose nickname is Amara. Your group will host a party for the Italians, and, as you likely know, they like to party!"

Jen continued listing names, as I went over to find my group of girls.

"Hi everyone!" I said excitedly. The group chorused in "hi's," and we sat down at a table.

After a few minutes of conversation, Jen's voice grew louder. Apparently she had finished calling out the groups.

"Girls, we will start the party-planning tomorrow, so get a good night's sleep!"

Charles took Jen's place, and looked across the room.

"Let's start with interviews, in Alphabetical order. Adley, you'll go first."

 _Lavinia_

 _Jackson laughed, taking the ice off of his apparently healed head._

" _You know what else is payback for your acts of generosity?"_

" _What?"_

" _This."_

Jackson picked me up, carrying me while running.

"No, Jackson, I have to get back to sewing!"

"Sewing can wait." Jackson ran through the halls, into the servant's corridors, through the laundry and garden, until we got to the mini-forest. Before I could escape his grasp, he jumped into the pond with me in his arms.

I quickly paddled up to the surface, where Jackson stood outside of the pond.

"Get out of the pond."

"What? You know I can't!"

"That, my dear, brings me to today's lesson. Climbing! You should know how to climb out of any situation!" Jackson jumped into the pond once again, and demonstrated how to find footholds. He expertly climbed out of the water.

"Now you try."

I took a deep breath, and proceeded to find the parts of the rocks that would be easiest to climb. Once I had found one, I pulled my foot on top of it, grabbing the next rock-like cave formation with my hand. I pulled myself up a few more feet, until I started to get the hang of things. I decided that it would be easier to move sideways, so I shifted my foot to do so. Unfortunately, I lost my balance.

"Jackson!" I fell onto the rock below me, my arm smashing against it before I fell into the deep water below me. There was no gash in my arm, but it was throbbing.

Faster than you could say, "Fast," Jackson was pulling me out of the water.

"Are you okay?"

 _Are you okay? Seriously? My arm just smashed against a hard rock, I think it's broken, and I won't finish my dress!_ "Yeah, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Let's get you to the hospital."

Once again, I was picked up by Jackson, who carried me quickly to the hospital. A nurse soon began to inspect my arm, followed by the doctor. "I'm sorry, Lavinia, but it appears your arm is broken. We'll have to put it in a cast. You're lucky it's your left arm, so you'll still be able to sew."

"Thank you, doctor." The doctor left the room, leaving me to watch the dizzying sight of Jackson pacing rapidly in circles.

"Lavinia, this is all my fault! I should have known that it was a bad idea, and now you're arm's broken and-"

"Jackson, it's not your fault," I said, softly. "You had a good idea, and unfortunately, I was just unlucky. You couldn't have done anything else about the situation, and I am forever grateful for your 've been as kind as can be all along, even after I pushed you into a pond, and I admire that." _And I really like you, too._

Jackson looked at me and smiled. "Okay, but no more climbing lessons."

"Fine."

Doctor Blakely came back in with the bandages for the cast, and in a while, My arm was ready to go. "You can have people sign the cast, too."

"Thank you Dr. Blakely."

Jackson and I left the office, making our way through the lilies and roses.

Jackson filled the silence. "I'm just so sorry. Now you have a broken arm! With all of the palace's fancy new healing technology, you'll probably be healed in less than a month, but still, how could you forgive me?" Jackson had turned to face me now, worry in his eyes.

"Like this." I quickly pressed my lips to his, looping my arm around his neck. I knew that it came out of nowhere, but it's what I wanted to do. Realizing that it might not have been what he wanted, I quickly pulled away. Gathering my skirts with my good arm, I ran into the woods. The real, big woods.

Stride by stride, I ran until I physically couldn't anymore. Sitting down in a pile of pine needles, I rested my arm on the ground. I couldn't hear any footsteps behind me, so I let myself slowly fall asleep…..

 _Romaine_

I woke up in the morning to the sound of my maids shuffling around the room. "Good morning, Romaine!" Julia exclaimed, as she stood over my bed.

"Where's Lavinia?" I responded. Julia looked down.

"She ran off. Nobody can find her, but the guards will probably have her returned by sundown at the latest. Nevertheless, we're lucky that Augusta here sews marvelously, so we have your dress done." Julia excitedly pulled out a lavender day dress with gold embellishments.

"It's stunning! Thank you." I slipped on the dress, and Julia zipped up the back. The maids had me sit down, and then proceeded to do my hair in their usual way, with loose curls. Augusta quickly put on mascara, blush, and lip gloss, and I was good to go. I thanked my maids, and headed out the door to the central room. Not surprisingly, I was the first one there. Jen smiled, and handed me a folder. "This will be your party folder for your group. King Andrew really wanted to encourage punctuality, so the first person here from each group is the leader."

"Knowing my dad, that's not a surprise," sounded a voice from behind me. I turned around to be faced by prince Charles. Giving him a questioning look I asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just eliminations, and checking out the parties."

"Wonderful. My party is for the Italians."

"I can tell you something easily: They. Love. To. PARTY!"

"Well, it sure will be a party. What do you know about the royalty of Italy?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I really want them to enjoy this, so what do they like?"

"They like big parties, tons of food and drinks, extravagance is the key. Their parties can sometimes go until two in the morning!"

"Wow. Okay, I'll keep that as a note."

Soon, the rest of the girls arrived, and were seated. With her usual smile on her face, Jen started to speak. "Girls, thank you for not being too late. King Andrew was quite disappointed with your punctuality last night, so he has rewarded those girls who are here on time. If you were the first girl in your group to be here, congratulations, you are the team leader. Alright, now the prince has an announcement to make."

"Ladies, it has been a pleasure meeting you so far, but I am afraid that some of you must be eliminated. Ladies Brittany, Veronica, Chelsea, Alana, and Mac, unfortunately, you have been eliminated. Congrats to the rest of you."

A chorus of whines erupted from the eliminated girls, and I mouthed, _Good luck_ to the prince, causing him to smile and wink, as he handed an envelope to Jen. The planner soon spoke up. "Alright, that means groups three, four, and seven only have four girls, so step it up! Alright girls, get in your groups!"

I made my way over to the table where my team was. "Alright, I'm excited!"

Adley giggled in return, and the girls cheered. So, we have the Italians, which means we really have to throw a party. I'm thinking evening….."

"Ooh, that's perfect," said Amara and Maria. Adley looked deep in thought.

"What about a glow in the dark party? Elegant, sheer, white decorations in the evening, and as a surprise, everything lights up in the night!"

"Adley, that's perfect!" I exclaimed. Courtney shook her head. "You girls can think about this lame glow party stuff, But what will we wear?"

I slightly rolled my eyes at the girl's rude comment, but responded. "We could have our maids design light up dresses!"

Maria responded."That's perfect! And the other girls and female guests can wear glow-jewelry, while the guys will have glow hats!"

"That might work," said Courtney. I could tell that she was warming up to the group's ideas. What I couldn't tell was that Jen was standing behind me.

"Well, you ladies seem to be doing well. I love the glow party idea, just be sure to keep the sophistication up. Romaine, may I please speak to you?"

I stood up and followed Jen to the corner of the room. She handed me a cream white envelope with my name on it. I carefully opened the envelope, and found a letter inside.

 _Romaine - Please meet me in the boardroom. Bring your journal._

 _-Charles_

A smile on my face, I quickly walked to the main meeting room, glad that I already had my journal with me. I found three people in the room. Charles, Princess Cressida, and King Andrew. I handed my journal to Charles. "You asked for this. The political novel is on page 38."

The prince turned to page 38, and started to read out loud.

"Dear Readers,

This is the story of a girl named Hailey's journey through the world of politics. It takes place in an Alternate Universe, when wars have turned the world into just a few countries, and humans battle the environment and a lack of resources. As she discovers the truth about her family, the world, and herself, Hailey has to realize the importance of respecting differences, and fighting for what she believes in. Hailey is a strong person, but will a world of deceit and ambiguity stop her from finding the truth?

This story contains lessons and messages about the human condition, fights for power, and politics. I truly hope that the lessons learned by the characters in this story will always have a place in your mind. I want this to make you smile, laugh, and cry. I hope that sometimes it makes you so happy that you hug it, and so angry that you throw the book across the room. (Because I never did either of those things….right?) Thank you for taking your time to read this, and I hope that you enjoy.

Many Thanks,

Romaine."

Charles stopped speaking and closed the book.

"Sounds interesting," said King Andrew.

"I'm glad you think so. Well, what am I here for?"

Cressida soon responded. "Two things. One: I need help planning something. Two: A fun game."

"Well, what can I help you with?" I asked. Cressida answered me by passing me a file. "Do not open this until later, the contents are secret. And now for the game! My dad has wanted to play this for a while. Also, please call me Cressi, Cressida is two formal."

Cressi pulled out a board game. Risk. "Alright, who goes first?

 _Lavinia_

I woke up to white. Just white. That is, until I turned my head to see Julia and Augusta. I was in our quarters. "What happened?"

"You were lost in the woods."

It all started to play back for me. The kiss, the running, falling asleep. How did I get here? As if she knew what I was thinking, Julia started to speak again.

"General Milo brought you back, he said to give you this." Julia handed me an envelope, and then she left with Augusta. The envelope had my name on it. I opened it, and found a small, typed note.

 _Be there at 9:00, don't fall in._

I knew who it was. Did I want to go? Absolutely not. Nevertheless, I knew that I would. I got out of bed, showered, changed, and got back to sewing, trying to think of what I would say.

 _Romaine_

I beat the King of Illéa in risk. The game was close, but it was simply my strategy of saving troops near borders that won the game for me. "Well, that was a pleasant game," I said, folding the board and placing it in it's box."

"Agreed," King Andrew said. "Unfortunately, I must get back to the Advisers, they'll be upset if I don't. Cressi, you should get back to Adelaide."

The two left, leaving me alone with Charles. "Would you care to go on a walk in the gardens?" he asked.

"That would be wonderful."

I had told Charles all about the theme of the Italian's party, and he loved it. We were now nearing the orange roses, and I stopped at a bench. "I know she told me to read it when I was alone, but I'm tempted to look at Cressida's papers now."

"I know what they're about, so you should look at them."

I opened the folder, and pulled out a picture of a boy. "Who's he?"

"Prince Cosimo of Italy. Cressi _likes_ him."

"Oh. So she wants me to….give her a helping hand?"

"Exactly."

"I'll see what I can do."

 **Alright, that's the end of the chapter. I'm so sorry for the late update, but the next one will likely come tomorrow. Also, I'd like to thank you again if you submitted a character! I just saw the review with another character, who will be in the story, but I can't make her a main character because of time. Additionally, I might take your characters different places than you mentioned. I will stay true to the character, but what they do in the story might be different than what you mentioned. I'm only getting started in including your characters, but if you ever don't like how I am writing them, please tell me. I love all of my readers, and I truly want you to be happy with this story. Thank you, and expect an update very soon!**

 **Best Wishes and Extra Hugs,**

 **Cbear**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello! This chapter contains party planning, some stuff with Lavinia, Some Royal Family + Romaine stuff, and just fun. I honestly felt so bad for not updating for, like, a week, until last chapter, so please forgive me. Anyhow, onto the chapter….**

 _Romaine_

I hesitated before knocking on the door. The Selected typically didn't do stuff with the Royal Family often. But Cressi wanted me to help her. I knocked my fist against the door. Soon, it was opened by Cressida. "Come in."

She wheeled away, and I walked into the room. It sure was a suite fit for a princess, With plush ballet-slipper pink furniture, white embellishments, and hints of silver throughout the room. Cassi turned towards me. "So...I really like prince Cosimo of Italy, as you know. But he's always sort of overlooked me because of my wheelchair. Everyone has, it's like I'm...invisible. Somehow being below eye level makes me less worthy of looking at, of liking. I just want to be noticed. And you can hopefully help me with that."

"Absolutely. I met with my team, and we all settled on an idea. The theme for the party is light up and glow in the dark, so the planners and I are all wearing costumes made of glow in the dark fabric. Your dress, however, will be shimmery and light-up. We'll place mirrors around the dance floor, so you'll be our disco ball, in gold. What do you think?"

"Perfect! I seriously cannot thank you enough."

"No problem. I should head back to my room for bed, it's getting late."

"Yes. Thanks again!"

 _Lavinia_

Did I really want to do this? I studied myself in the mirror. I was brave, but was brave enough? I had faced the wrath of Queen Cassiopeia of Swendway, having to cater to her every need, and yet I couldn't meet someone at a lake? As if my conscience was controlling me in every way, my feet moved forward towards the garden. I suppose that the longer I put this off, the less I would want to get it over with. He obviously didn't like me back. I might as well just go along with it.

 _Romaine_

After my maids left, I decided to get to business. The prince had agreed to help me get Cressi her prince, and everything had to be perfect. Sure, we weren't following the princess' instructions, but we knew that we could help her.

Exiting my room, I made my way down the halls to the library. Shelves stretched all the way to the ceiling; a maze of books that touched the stars. I looked around for awhile, failing to see anything. That is, until I saw the highlighter sticky-note taped onto the book, "Secret rooms." This had to be the place. I pulled the book out of the shelf as it revealed itself to be a metal handle. I opened the hidden door, and went inside of the nook to find the prince. "I figured you'd find it. I had a palace carpenter create this space secretly, nobody knows about it. Anyhow, a glowing dress, as you mentioned, is not enough for Cressi. We have to get her out of that wheelchair, and we only have a little while."

"Right. I developed a plan….It will take a lot of work. During the party, we'll have a giant cake."

"So….."

"Charles, we chose a very specific date for the party, it's two days before Cressi's birthday, and the only time to celebrate with the Italians. We'll have a _big_ cake, with the bottom made of wood. Only the top will be actual cake. Anyhow, the bottom will be hollow with a hidden door, and Cressi will be inside the topmost wooden layer, sitting down without her chair a few feet above the ground. We'll drag Cosimo to just the right position under the cake that he could easily catch her. Then when the door is open, someone will push Cressi through the back, making her fall right into the Prince's arms!"

"Perfect! I'll speak with the Royal carpenter at once, than you so much for your help."

"You're welcome. Good night."

 _Lavinia_

The thick fog of the night hung in the air, pushing my feet down on the ground, instead of flying off into my comfort zone. The brown soil of the surface rested below me, pulling me to the earth, instead of pushing me back into my maid's quarters. Did I really want to do this? Taking one step at a time, I soon found myself at the pond, but nobody was there.

Shivering in the cold Angeles winter air, I thought of all of the fun memories coming to an end. I guess that he wasn't coming, but I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed. I turned, heading back to the palace. Soon, I took off into a sprint, fearing that the other maids would notice my absence.

However, I was too focused on the rhythm of my jog to notice that I had bumped into someone, falling back into the pond. The person I ran into had to be Jackson.

 _Romaine_

I walked out onto the balcony, looking up at the stars. So far, the Selection had been a lot of fun.

My memory brought me back to the day that I was leaving my house, when I saw the little girl and the officer. Milo...he must work for the palace. I knew that somehow, he had known Gracie. I picked up a piece of stationery from my room, and began to write a letter.

 _Lavinia_

I plunged into the cold water, sinking deep below the surface. The reflection of stars and the moon shined through the water, creating ripples of light in the depths of the pond. I swam up to the surface, but couldn't see anyone there. That is, until someone lifted me from the water from behind me. I turned around to see a smiling Jackson. "You couldn't help but jump in again?"

"I fell in."

"Why so solemn?"

"I'm just so sorry about….earlier. I really shouldn't have done that."

"So I shouldn't be doing this?" Jackson kissed me. I was confused, but all of the confusion, uncertainty, and sorrow of the past day was gone, replaced by pure joy. I clung to Jackson, until we heard clapping. Turning around with a new bright red mask on my cheeks, I saw Julia, Augusta, and Jackson's friend, Cam. I turned to Jackson, and I was positive that we were thinking the same thing. We both ran over to the trio, and dragged them over to the pond. With a quick push, they were all in the water. "Payback!"

I had a feeling that we would all be visiting this place much more in the future.

 _Julia_

I woke up to find the morning sun shining into my face, as I heard the birds chirping outside my large window. Not! I actually woke up to see somebody shaking my shoulder. "Julia! You must have forgotten to set your alarm. We took care of Lady Romaine, but it's 9:00 AM, and General Milo would like to see you."

I jolted out of bed, combing through my damp hair that had dried overnight. I slipped into my maid's uniform as fast as possible, braided my hair, and was out the door. I dashed through the servant's quarters and into the guards' chambers until I was at General Milo's office. "I'm sorry for my lack of punctuality, sir, but I forgot to set my alarm."

"No problem. I just received something that concerned me, one of your maids handed it in. Romaine wrote me a letter. Cam," said the general, pointing to the guard next to me, "has already read it."

I was handed the card, and started to read the cursive writing.

Dear Officer Milo,

My name is Romaine, and I am one of the Selected. I met your daughter outside of my house one day, and you seemed to recognize the house, as well as me. You called me Gracie, which leads me to believe that you once knew my sister. We look like the same person, but she was obviously older than me. Anyhow, I never knew the details of my sister's death, and I have suspicions about who you were in her life. Please contact me soon.

Regards,

Romaine

I looked up from the letter. "This is bad."

 _Lavinia_

The carpenter followed Jackson and I through the small forest, as we showed him parts of the soil where we thought there should be a path. Eventually, we got to the pond. I spoke up. "This truly is a lovely pond, but we maids and guards now use it as a shortcut to get around the palace, as well as a place to have a picnic, or have some fun. We find that it would be a wonderful addition to the palace, even as just a gathering spot."

The carpenter looked at his clipboard, and smiled. "Well, I have no current projects, so it's a yes! It should all be easy and inexpensive to install, so we're looking at about a week."

"Yes!" I responded. Soon enough, two figures approached from the distance; Officer Cam, and Julia. "It's going to happen," I exclaimed, "a new pathway and picnic spot wil be built!"

Julia gave me a high-five. "Talk about a morning! If you guys can keep a secret, we were assigned to keep Romaine from Officer Milo, because he was the fiancé of her dead sister, Gracelyn. Milo wants her to focus on the Selection, so we are supposed to keep her away from learning the truth of her death. Anyhow, she just wrote a letter to him, and she's closer to reality than we thought."

 **I am so sorry for the late chapter! You have no idea how bad I feel. Hopefully the next chapter will come soon!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I just realized that I forgot to sign off last time! Hugs to all of you for sticking with the story and for being my motivation, remember to review! This chapter is just a bunch of fun stuff with the selected and party planning. Once Again, apologies for not updating since forever ago. I am super busy! Please enjoy, and onto the chapter…**

 _Romaine_

The gentle night breeze blew into Adley's window. We had arranged a sleepover so we could get to plan the party, and bond more. Just in time, the door clicked open, revealing Cressi. I had invited her to join us, so that we could share our vision with the group. "Everyone, Princess Cressida will be joining us to inform you about the most important part of our party."

"I really like prince Cosimo of Italy."

 _Officer Milo_

I leaned back in my desk chair. "Come in!"

In walked Colonel Stewart. "What is this business with Cam and that maid? What could they possibly do to stop the girl from finding out?"

I chuckled. "Nothing, she'll find out on her own."

"So why would you assign one of my guards to such a project?!"

"He needs a girl."

"What? He works night shifts frequently, and for whatever reason, his personal life is of greater importance than that of the safety of the palace?"

"The safety of the palace is affected by his personal life. Remember, when he broke up with that maid, I think her name was Augusta? He never quite got over her. I can tell that his energy is down, he's so...glum. Figured them working together might-"

"I get the idea. Fine, you can assign him. But don't you know that Julia is working with Augusta?"

 _Courtney_

I pulled at the sleeves of my kimono, admiring how the blue silk fanned out into wavy sleeves. The party with New Asia was today, and I had to look my best. Those other girls didn't know what was coming for them.

The party's theme was "Traditional with a Twist" and we had to dress accordingly. I took the theme quite literally, by having my maids do my hair in a french chignon adorned with cherry blossom pins. It was literally a twist, but still fit the theme. All of the selected girls would be wearing Asian inspired outfits.

I walked through the palace, stopping at the rooftop patio. Sushi and cocktails were plated on an elegant table, and girls mixed in with New Asian royalty. Adjusting my dress once again, I walked up to the prince. He was okay, I guess. What truly made Charles great was the power. To be able to rule the most powerful country in the world was the true prize. It looked like he was talking to the New Asian king. I truly didn't know much about politics, so I passed them and walked up to the bar. "Water, please."

The bartender handed me a glass of water with citrus in it, and I took a sip as I strode towards Damaris, one of the girls who had planned the party. It was...nice. But I couldn't let her think that.

"Damaris!"

The blonde turned around, and shyly walked towards me. "Hi, Courtney. How are you?"

"Fine, if not for this disaster of a party," I responded. Before she could fire back (which was doubtful) I breezed past her, my head held high. I took another sip of my drink, but suddenly, Something flashed in front of me. The person whizzed by, tripping me.

I landed on the floor with a thud, but nobody noticed. I slowly, gracefully, stood up. It looked like the person who tripped me was crown prince Katsuro of New Asia. "I'm so sorry, miss…."

"Courtney."

"Miss Courtney. I truly apologize, I wasn't looking."

"Apology accepted." I nodded my head, and moved forwards.

 _Julia_

I threw the linens that were piled over my head into the laundry machine. Because we had guests, the maids and staff of the palace were doing double work. Even the guards had to be extra vigilant.

The party was a success, but I had heard from Amelia, a waitress, that it hadn't been perfect. I just hoped that my lady's party could be.

The next party was tomorrow morning, and it was a breakfast with the Swendish royalty. Then (yes, there can always be more work) there was Romaine's group's dinner dance party for the Italians. I was the only maid who knew about Princess Cressida's plan, so there was extra planning to take care of. I was honestly just worried for her safety. What if nobody caught her? It was a risky plan, that the carpenter and I had modified, with the permission of the girls.

Cressi would not be hiding in a giant cake. She would be using her crutches, which was hard for her, but she would only have to for a little while. As she walked down the stairs with Cosimo after being announced, he would help her. Well, hopefully. Everyone couldn't help but think that all of this was a bit unnecessary.

 **I'm so sorry for the late update! Surprisingly, my life is super busy right now. Nevertheless, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please pay attention to the names of the New Asian royalty! Look up the meaning.**

 **Also, I couldn't help but notice that I only have 13 reviews. Seriously. I hate to do this, but I might have to discontinue the story, because it appears that only three people actually pay attention to it and like it. Please give me advice on how I can improve the story if you don't like it, instead of just ignoring it.**

 **Many Thanks,**

 **Cbear**


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